1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of parachute devices generally but more specifically deals with the field of parafoil parachute devices. Such parafoil parachute devices have enhanced directional steering capabilities and are formed by a plurality of longitudinally extending air cells positioned generally parallel with respect to one another to form the canopy thereof.
The present invention is generally useful for all sized parafoil canopies but is more particularly pertinent to large scale parafoils on the order of greater than 5000 square feet of surface area which is designed for use with heavy payloads generally greater than 15,000 lbs. Although this is the capability limit of the present invention it is designed to be particularly usable with a 7500 square foot parafoil and a 24,200 lb. payload.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous devices have been utilized for dissipating the energy of parachutes. However, none have combined the use of a ripstitch energy attenuator with a parafoil parachute as shown in the present invention. Examples of these prior art patents are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,138,140 patented May 4, 1915 to A. Olster on a "Parachute Device"; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,319,546 patented Oct. 21, 1919 to W. W. Whaley and assigned one-half to Lewis E. Whaley on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,393,082 patented Oct. 11, 1921 to E. R. Calthrop and assigned to E. R. Calthrop's Aerial Patents Limited on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,780,190 patented Nov. 4, 1930 to E. L. Hoffman on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,909,158 patented May 16, 1933 to H. F. Albihn on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,951,864 patented March 20, 1934 to L. L. Driggs, Jr. and assigned to International Flare-Signal Company on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,019,437 patented Oct. 29, 1935 to S. H. Knight and assigned to Follmer, Clogg & Co., Inc. on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,149,540 patented Mar. 7, 1939 to W. Muller on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,356,493 patented Aug. 22, 1944 to P. F. Smith and assigned to Pioneer Parachute Company, Inc. on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,379,758 patented Jul. 3, 1945 to P. F. Smith and assigned to Pioneer Parachute Company, Inc. on a "Parachute Construction"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,472,601 patented Jun. 7, 1949 to H. R. Mallory and assigned to Pioneer Parachute Company, Inc. on a "Parachute Canopy"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,511,263 patented Jun. 13, 1950 to E. F. Hiscock on a "Parachute Construction"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,517,417 patented Aug. 1, 1950 to J. R. C. Quilter on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,525,798 patented Oct. 17, 1950 to M. Hattan on a "Shockless Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,263 patented Aug. 16, 1960 to A. J. Steinthal and assigned to M. Steinthal & Co., Inc. on a "Drag Chute System For Aircraft"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,954,191 patented Sep. 27, 1960 to H. J. Moran and assigned to Switlik Parachute Company, Inc. on a "Controlled Flow Parachute Canopy"; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,950 patented Sep. 5, 1961 to A. G. Fritz et al on an "Integrated Parachute Deployment Pack"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,072 patented May 1, 1962 to L. I. Weiner et al and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army on a "Parachute Fabric Containing Stretch And Non-Stretch-Type Ripstops"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,621 patented Sep. 25, 1962 to J. Martin on a "Parachute Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,956 patented Aug. 25, 1964 to H. E. Widdows and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the United States Atomic Energy Commission on a "Parachute Deployment Control Assembly"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,040 patented to Richard L. Every et al on Dec. 19, 1967 and assigned to Continental Oil Company on a "Pipelining Of Solids"; and, U.S. Pat. No. 3,3,386,692 patented Jun. 4, 1968 to H. U. Schuerch and assigned to Astro Research Corporation on a "Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,101 patented Aug. 19, 1969 to F. X. Chevrier and assigned to Hi-Tek Corporation on a "Parachute Ripcord"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,908 patented Aug. 17, 1971 t James Martin on a "Parachute Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,152 patented April 11, 1972 to Clifford Bonn et al and assigned to Irvin Air Chute, Limited on a "Stretch Fabric Parachute Canopy"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,284 patented Nov. 20, 1973 to J. T. Matsuo et al and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army on a "Controllable Multi-Stage Increasing Drag Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,493 patented Dec. 4, 1973 to J. T. Matsuo and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy on a "Parachute Decoupling Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,970 patented Dec. 25, 1973 to W. R. Pinnell and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force on a "Parachute Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,698 patented Apr. 16, 1974 to J. C. Kinlock and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy on an "Adhesively Releasable And Reusable Shock Load Absorbing System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,046 patented Aug. 13, 1974 to J. T. Matsuo et al and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy on a "Programmable, Reversible Drag, Multi-Stage Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,151 patented Jun. 3, 1975 to J. T. Matsuo and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy on an "Apparatus And Method For Controlling the Inflation Time And Applied Snatch Forces On A Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,945 patented Jan. 13, 1976 to 0. W. Sepp and assigned to ILC-Steinthal, Inc. on a "Rotating Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,407 patented Feb. 10, 1976 to J. T. Matsuo and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy on a "Multiple Strap Shock Absorber"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,207 patented Nov. 2, 1976 to H. B. Mader and assigned to Bruggemann & Brand KG on a "Parachute With Delayed Opening"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,352 patented Jan. 30, 1979 to A. L. Stonebridge and assigned to BBA Group Limited on "Methods Of Making Loops In Strip Fabric Material"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,149 patented Jun. 28, 1983 to T. L. Barnes et al and assigned to The Balloon Works, Inc. on a "Balloon Envelope And Method Of Fabricating Same"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,944 patented May 8, 1984 to W. E. Forrest et al and assigned to Forrest Mountaineering, Inc. on a "Shock Absorbing Device And Method"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,296 patented Sep. 4, 1984 to R. P. Lee on a "Fishing Kite"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,899 patented Jun. 4, 1985 to T. V. Carrera on a "Parachute Apparatus With Shock Absorber"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,153 patented Jul. 16, 1985 to S. H. Conn and assigned to The Balloon Works, Inc. on a "One-Piece Load Line Pocket For Balloon"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,026 patented Oct. 21, 1986 to W. L. Olson and assigned to Rose Manufacturing Company on an "Apparatus And Method For Producing A Counteracting Force"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,772 patented Jun. 28, 1988 to J. C. Schmertz and assigned to Westinghouse Electric Corp. on a "Multi-Strap Shock Absorber"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,970 patented Sep. 20, 1988 to S. J. Sutton on a "Pressure Flow Control Device"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,071 patented Aug. 14, 1990 to C. M. Summers, III and assigned to Glide Path International, Inc. on a "Deployment System For Parachute"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,533 patented May 21, 1991 to L. Borngen and assigned to Rheinmetall GmbH on a "Bomblet Projectile Including A Stabilization Band"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,616 patented Jun. 23, 1992 to J. A. Buckley et al and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy on a "High Efficiency, Low Weight And Volume Energy Absorbent Seam"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,187 patented Sep. 1, 1992 to R. H. McQuarrie et al and assigned to Ontario Hydro on an "Energy Absorber For Horizonal Lifelines In Fall Arrest Systems"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,288 patented May 25, 1993 to N. T. Girdwood and assigned to Parachute Industries of Southern Africa (PTY) LTD on a "Parachute Opening Shock Reducing System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,126 patented Aug. 3, 1993 to Klaus-Diemar Karius et al and assigned to Rheinmetall GmbH on a "Deceleration Device For A Submunition Unit With Textile Package For Deceleration Element"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,122 patented Nov. 9, 1993 to D. C. Prevorsek et al and assigned to Allied-Signal Inc. on an "Impact Resistant Woven Body"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,663 patented Nov. 23, 1993 to W. T. Widgery on a "Stowage Band Adapted For Releasably Maintaining Parachute Suspension Lines In A Looped Condition And Method Of Using The Same"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,133 patented Jul. 18, 1994 to 0. Rasmussen on a "Parachute With Shock Absorbing Feature"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,016 patented Feb. 28, 1995 to C. D. Howard et al and assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy on an "Energy Absorption Device For Shock Loading"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,290 patented Jul. 18, 1995 to J. N. Ellis et al and assigned to Research & Trading Corporation on a "Safety Line Shock Absorber"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,900 patented Feb. 4, 1997 to M. J. O'Rourke and assigned to Surety Manufacturing & Testing Ltd. on a "Horizontal Lifeline Energy Absorber"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,760 patented Sep. 1, 1998 to G. E. Small on an "Energy Absorbing Device".